APP OF THE DAY: Crackle review (Android, consoles, iOS, Smart TVs)

With the world now awash with video-on-demand services, one might wonder if we really need another to think about, but that’s exactly what we’re recommending on App of the Day at Pocket-lint.

We’re not saying that you shouldn’t be spending your time trying to figure out whether you’re a Netflix or Lovefilm kind of person but if you want something quick, dirty and on the side, then today’s player is for you. What’s more, it involves that all important magic word - free!

Crackle

Crackle has been around for a few years now - and even a few years before that, when it went by the name of Grouper. These days, under the stewardship of Sony Pictures Entertainment, it brings free-to-stream films from its parent company's catalogue as well as a clutch of orginal content in the shape of some specially made TV series. We’re not going to lie to you - the TV series are not particularly attractive and the movie catalogue could be described as a touch dated at best. All the same, there are some gems just waiting to be unearthed. For every Cruel Intentions 2 there is a One False Move; for every Nice Dreams, a The Principal.

The quality of the streams over mobile is not great. They’re pixelated just over the threshold at which you notice it; and searching for films beyond the featured carousel on the front and the Most Popular section isn’t as easy as it should be. But it’s all a fairly small price to pay given that you’re getting decent, feature-length movies for nothing. Probably the nicest touch is that the Crackle app will remember where you last left a film if you don’t manage to finish it in one sitting.

You can download the app for nothing on iOS and Android and you’ll also find versions of it on games consoles and a lot of internet-connected TVs out there. If none of those methods tickles your fancy, you can always just visit the Crackle website and watch films there.